The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.

Languages used in the text:
English

Revision history:

2005-08-08, Sarah Ficke finished TEI/XML encoding.

Source(s):

Title of collection: Charles Wilson Harris Letters (#315), Southern
Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Title of document: Letter from Charles Wilson Harris to Joseph Caldwell,
September 5, 1796

Author: Chas. W. Harris

Description: 3 pages, 4 page images

Note:
Call number 315 (Southern Historical Collection, University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill)

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I received by last post your final answer on the subject of our correspondence.
Your determination to accept of the professorship of Mathematics gives me great
pleasure, and tho' you will find our institution in an infant state, yet such a
foundation has been laid, and so great are the exertions on the part of the
trustees, that I entertain scarce any doubts, but it will be brought to
perfection in due time. I am sorry that Dr. Smith is not agreeably
situated at Princeton. I had often mentioned his name to the trustees,
but always supposed that no offers from this state could entice him from Nassau,
particularly since he accepted the Presidency. I wish our trustees could make a
removal to the University agreeable and profitable to him; such
an event I am certain would be highly useful to our growing institution. At any
rate, I will make use of your letter to introduce proposals of that nature. I
have already transmitted extracts of it to Gen. Davie of Hallifax and Mr. Hogg of Hillsborough, they
are leading trustees, and not unacquainted with Dr. Smith's literary character.

Page 2

I would advise you to relinquish the idea of coming by water, it will be
attended with many difficulties, and prevent you from seeing some of the best
parts of the U.
States. To travel by stage would cost 50 Dollars before you could arrive
at Petersburg, 170
miles from this. I think it the best plan to purchase a small but good
horse and a single chair, you could with this equipage travel very conveniently
and as expeditiously as on single horse. In your chair box you could carry many
necessaries which you might need before the arrival of your trunk. This plan you
may make as cheap as you please and keeping the post road through the city
Washington, Alexandria, near
Mount Vernon,
Richmond, Petersburg
&c. you would find much entertainment and improve your knowledge
of the Geography of our country & without doubt it would be very
serviceable to your health. The loss in the price of the horse could not be
considerable, and I would take the chair off your hands. A half-worn chair, if
well made, would answer your purpose & be much cheaper. You would save
something considerable by filling your trunk with one or two pieces of linen,
stockings, shoes, broadcloth and whatever articles of clothing you would need in
the course of a year all which are much dearer here than in Philadelphia & sometimes
not easily procured.

Page 3

Your trunks may be addressed to Petersburg as on the annexed paper, where they will be
received, and cost of shipping paid by Mr Gracie & Anderson, who will forward them on to Hillsborough immediately, they
will receive directions to this purpose long before your trunks can arrive. If
no ship for that place should sail while you are at Philadelphia, Mr Otto can superintend
that business.

I wish to order about 100 Dollars worth of books from Robert Campbell Bookseller in the city. This I shall
do before you set out. You would oblige me by putting them in the same line of
conveyance with your trunks & with the same address. I will write to
Mr Otto on
the subject, from whom you will receive further accounts. Give my best respects
to [Dr. Smith], Dr
Minto & Mr Hobart. I am, sir with sincerity